


Sweet creature

by highkeyloki



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Blind Peter, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Protective Steve Rogers, Protective Tony Stark, Shy Peter Parker, Starker, Teen Peter Parker, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Worried Peter, concerned steve, rich tony, rich tony stark
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-18
Updated: 2018-09-18
Packaged: 2019-07-13 22:26:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,772
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16027235
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/highkeyloki/pseuds/highkeyloki
Summary: Peter Parker is a blind 18 year old who's just moved to New York and Tony Stark is a rich business man who worries more than he should about the kid.





	1. It was a mocha

**Author's Note:**

> (no powers but rich and famous tony)  
> I'm sorry if this is crappy; I stayed up all night. I haven't decided if this is going to be Stony looking after Peter or Starker, so let me know which you'd prefer as I'm making this up as I go along. Comments are always greatly appreciated! :)

Sometimes, it's safe to say, Peter Parker really overestimates himself. One of them times would he when he moved out of his aunt's house and into the center of New York City, with no friends in the city and no way of finding his way around by himself. He was still surprised that he managed to get his aunt to agree with this - but she wasn't getting any younger and a blind teenager relying on her was becoming a bit of a challenge with working full time. Peter had always tried to stay independent though, refusing to use a stick or a guide dog and denying all help until it was completely necessary.

There's one thing you should understand about Tony Stark: he liked to keep to himself. His friends had tried to convince him that his coldness was because he was lonely, but he knew they were wrong. He liked his life. He had all the money he could ask for, and various staff to talk to if he was having a particularly good day. However, today wasn't a good day. He had spent his afternoon in a meeting that he didn't want to be in, so he was tired, and hungry, and all round grouchy.

The cold November air brushed past Peter's skin as he carefully made his way back to his apartment. It was late evening and the sun had set a while ago; the teen had always found it easier to find his way around in the evening or early mornings when there weren't many people about. Central park was one of the first routes he had learnt, it wasn't too far from his flat and was definitely one of his favourite routes. Occasionally Peter would bump shoulders with someone and mutter a soft "sorry" but generally people managed to avoid him.

Peter's fingers gently brushed against the rough brick wall as he made his way down the street, thinking hard about his way back to his small apartment. The soft echo of people talking behind him soon distracted him, although it somewhat comforted him to know that someone was nearby. He listened to the child talk about their day at school and the different subjects they learnt. It made Peter miss his own family. It wasn't until Peter was knocked onto the ground, burning liquid split over his chest and neck, that he realised just how distracted he was.

"Jesus - fuck," someone yelled from above him, Peter's hand flying up to try and get the burning coffee off his skin. "What the fuck, are you blind?" The voice yelled again, followed by an annoyed groan.

"Well - I - ah..." Peter spluttered, his eyes wide and scared as he pushed himself against the wall, now trying to get up.

"Fuck sake, kid!" Tony interrupted, putting his phone back into his pocket - he had been texting Steve and not paying attention to where he was walking, assuming people would move out of his way.

Tony looked at the wide eyed kid below him who was trying to scramble up the wall with one hand, the other clutching his chest. With another sigh, Tony shook the coffee off his hand before reaching down and grabbing the skinny kids arm, pulling him to his feet.

"I'm sorry, sir." Peter mumbled softly, his heart thumping rapidly against his ribs. His hands subconsciously reached out to the man, feeling his coffee soaked shirt. "I'm so sorry, are you okay? Are you hurt?" He rambled, frowning when his hands were pushed from the man's chest.

"I'm fine," Tony grunted, noticing how the boys eyes were slightly unfocused and looking just past Tony's face. "Shit, did you hit your head-"

"Let me buy you another drink, was it a coffee?" Peter gushed out, squeezing his eyes shut for a second, one hand still slightly outstretched towards the stranger, the other now supporting his back which was aching from the impact of the fall.

Tony hesitated for a moment before huffing quietly, still examining the teen closely. "It was a mocha. You look like you need a coffee more than me, kid." He muttered with a half smile to indicate he was joking. But when he saw the kid nod, his eyes never meeting Tony's, he frowned. 

"Okay," Peter straightened himself out, pulling the sleeves of his jumper over his hands nervously. "Where from?" He whispered timidly, trying to recall all the coffee shops he knew. He heard the stranger angrily mumbling something, before two cold hands grabbed his face, turning his head slightly. 

"Shit," Tony muttered again, turning Peter's face slightly and watching Peter's unfazed eyes. "You really are blind?" A rush of guilt washed over Tony, a sympathetic frown on his face, which was now inches from Peter's, curiously looking at his eyes. 

"Sir, please." Peter groaned, his eyes instinctively closing and his hand coming up to Tony's chest again, trying to push him back. 

"Shouldn't you have one of them sticks, or a guide dog -  _or someone with you?_ God, what are you doing out here alone? Do you know how dark it is, kid?" Tony (for once) was not trying to come across as rude or obnoxious, he was just curious and slightly worried. Peter definitely wasn't what came to mind when Tony thought of a blind person, and he couldn't understand why he was out here unaided, it was dangerous. The cold hands which smelt like expensive soap and coffee dropped from Peter's face when he closed his eyes.

With a deep breath and a sudden burst of confidence, Peter forced out, "do you want another coffee or not?" Although it was so quiet he almost didn't hear himself. His hands moved from Tony's chest and were now self-consciously playing with the zip of his jacket. 

"Right - yeah. Sorry." It was now Tony's turn to apologies, shaking his head softly.  "There's a coffee shop a few blocks from here. It's nice." Of course, Tony Stark had no intention of making the teen pay for the coffee; it's not like he was short of money. He just wanted to try and apologies for grabbing the teenagers face and asking all them dumb, and quite offensive, questions.


	2. Protection

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this is so long   
> there's mentions of blood in this chapter.

This was a bit of a risk for Peter to say the least, he didn't know this route at all. But he didn't want to look stupid now - the man was already considering him as incompetent. A gentle hand settled between Peter's shoulder blades, gently guiding him forward, and he didn't have the heart (or confidence) to ask to hold the man's arm instead. "What's the name of the street?" Peter asked as he walked alongside the man cautiously. Maybe he would be able to use his phone's map to find his way home once he had brought the coffee and left. 

"Not a clue, kid." Tony sighed, his thumb rubbing over the teens worryingly prominent shoulder blade. "I hope I didn't hurt you when I bumped into you. You fell over quite hard." Tony felt as though if his hand pressed any harder against the boy's back, he would break his spine. "'M Tony, by the way." 

With a sigh Peter nodded, his bottom lip pulling between his teeth. "No, I'm fine. I'm always walking into things. I stopped counting the fifth time I fell down the stairs." He added with a shy smile. "I'm Peter." 

There was an awkward silence for a while, Tony's arm still half wrapped around Peter as they walked. "So," Tony cleared his throat, glancing around the sidewalk to make sure there was nothing he could accidentally guide Peter into. "Can I ask about being blind, or is it a sensitive subject?" 

With a half smile, Peter shrugged. "Ask away."

"How did you become blind?" It was the elephant in the room, in Tony's opinion. It wasn't a bad question, but it came out a little blunter than Tony had intended. 

"After a car crash when I was 4." Peter replied simply, his arms now wrapping around himself to keep warm. The coffee that soaked his shirt was like ice on his chest. 

"Shit, kid. What do your parents think of you wondering around New York City by yourself at this time?" Tony's thumb had now moved to rub small circles on the bumps of Peter's spine, noticing how the boy tensed at the question.

"They died." Peter replied quickly. Before Tony could reply, Peter was talking again. "I grew up with my aunt, she wasn't happy about me moving from California to New York, but I didn't like the thought of her coming over to check on me everyday, y'know?" He murmured with a coy smile, shaking his head softly.

Tony nodded, looking down to the teenager with a half smile. "You're a lot braver than me, kid." He hummed gently, pursing his lips. "Can you remember much from when you could see? Like colours and stuff?"

"Not really. Sometimes I think I can remember little things, but it's hard to tell." Peter began, listening to Tony's breathing. Tony was getting tired now and wasn't really listening anymore to what Peter was saying. He heard the teenager reply, but his mind began to wonder as he looked up to the stars. 

It was the wrong time to lose focus on the path because as Peter was talking, a group of men approached them, a couple of them purposely bump into Peter roughly with a harsh, "fag" thrown in his face. Peter didn't react, he just stumbled closer to Tony from the impact of the bump, whispering a little "ouch". But unfortunately for him, he felt Tony stop. 

"What did you say?" Tony pressed, turning around to face one of the boys. He stepped closer to them, trusting that Peter would be safe behind him. Maybe he underestimated how many of them there were, but he was far too proud to back down now. The street was poorly lit, and it was maybe nearing 11PM, so there was almost no one about anymore. In hindsight, Tony probably should have pushed Peter a little more to get out of this street quicker, it definitely didn't feel safe. 

Peter couldn't exactly hear what was going on, but it was safe to say he was terrified. His eyes instinctively scrunched shut as he tried to listen out for the older man. "Tony?" He called out weakly as he heard someone approaching, but when he felt two pairs of hands grab him and drag him out of earshot from Tony, he knew it was bad. Tony's expensive smelling cologne was replaced with the scent of cigarettes, and the soft hand against his back was replaced with punches, against his stomach and face, and rough hands pulling at his hair. 

One of Tony's main weaknesses was he was far too headstrong, and this was a perfect example. It would be impossible for Tony to fight these men, there were far too many of them (and he was a grown man, he couldn't fight men in their mid-twenties!). However, he found himself stood in front of the first guy to knock into Peter, an expression on his face which was almost daring the man to say something. He was too angry to notice what was happening to Peter behind him, which was lucky, because at this point he probably could have killed them. 

"Shit," one of the men gasped, grabbing his friend and pulling him back. "That's Tony Stark." He muttered into the other's ear, breaking his gaze from Tony to look at the men on Peter. "Guys," he called, motioning them over. 

Tony watched the group, a couple of the men already backing away. "Got something to say?" He pressed, his eyes dark and dangerous. 

"Fuck you," The tallest of the men spat before turning and walking away, the rest following in suit. 

Tony made sure they were out of sight, taking a couple of breaths to calm himself down, before he turned back to Peter. Sure, he was expecting the boy to be a little shocked, but he wasn't expecting to see the teenager looking so small on the floor against the wall, his knees pulled to his chest and blood all over his face. Tony's heart stopped. 

"Peter?" He called cautiously, jogging over to Peter and crouching in front of him. "Hey, hey. It's me, yeah?" He cooed when he saw Peter tense up again. "Oh, God. I'm sorry, Peter. I didn't realise they had you." He gasped, gently taking Peter's hand when he saw the teenager reaching out for him. 

"Not your fault." Peter replied softly, holding on to Tony's soft hand tightly. "Are you hurt?" He whispered, concern laced in his voice. 

Tony didn't know what to say. His eyes were wide as he stared at Peter's shaking body and bloodied face. "I'm fine, see?" He breathed, gently lifting the smaller hand and placing it on his own cheek. "No blood, yeah? I'm okay." He promised as he let Peter feel around his face. "But you're not. Will you come back to mine so I can make sure you're okay?" He asked cautiously, biting his lip. When he saw that Peter was trying to stand, he helped him up and stood in front of him, brushing some dirt off Peter but quickly stopping when he flinched. 

"No." Peter frowned, mindlessly reaching out for Tony again. "Can't we still get coffee?" He asked quietly, wiping some blood from his mouth on the back of his hand. 

"Another time, okay?" Tony frowned, taking Peter's hand again. "When you're not dripping in blood." He said with a breathy laugh, noticing how badly Peter was shaking. "I'll take you straight home afterwards if that's what you want - it's just the cut on your head is bleeding a lot, okay? I might know someone who can help." He whispered softly, hating how fragile Peter looked right now. 

"Fine." The smaller boy said with a sigh as his eyes dropped shut. "As long as it's warm at yours, because I am freezing." He said with a halfhearted smile. 

"I'm going to call for my driver to pick us up, okay?" Tony hummed, gently wrapping an arm around Peter again to keep him close.

At this point, Peter's head was beginning to pound, and if he wasn't worried about getting blood all over him, he would have rested his head on Tony's shoulder. As the deep voice spoke on the phone, Peter got to work on trying to clean himself up. He couldn't see how bad it was, but he could feel some blood trickling down the side of his eye, and some more dripping into his mouth - so he used the sleeve of his jumper to wipe it away, trying not to focus on the pain.

"Stop it, kid." Tony sighed, taking Peter's hand away from his face once he had hung up the phone. "You'll only make it worse."

Peter huffed softly but didn't protest, listening around for any signs of other people. For a moment, Tony was grateful that Peter was blind; he couldn't see how much the man was looking at him - mostly out of concern. His hand gently stroked Peter's hair back, frowning as the boy flinched.

"I'm sorry I couldn't protect you." Tony murmured gently as he crouched down a little to meet Peter's eyes. "You didn't deserve this." He took Peter's small had again, because it was the only place he was sure didn't hurt.

"It's not your fault." Peter reminded softly as he gave Tony's hand a little squeeze, shaking his head. "You did a good job standing up to them."

Tony shook his head, whispering another apology as his car pulled up beside them. He reached over to pull the door open, pulling his hand free from Peter's so he could rest it on the small of the teenagers back, guiding him to the car. "Need a hand in?" He asked gently as he watched Peter feel around the car before carefully trying to get in.

"No thank you." He smiled, shuffling along so there was room for Tony too.

The car was warm and smelt expensive so Peter instantly began worrying about getting blood and coffee all over it. He went to ask Tony for help, but soon stopped as he relaxed into the seat. It was only now he realised how exhausted he actually was, and how much his body was aching. He could hear Tony talking to the driver, but ignored them both as his eyes fell shut and he took in the warmth of the car.


End file.
